Colts’ Alec Pierce Still Without a Timetable After Second Ankle Injection Ahead of Preseason Opener
The Indianapolis Colts still don’t have a clear answer on when wide receiver Alec Pierce will be back on the field, and the picture got murkier this week. Pierce received a second PRP injection in his surgically repaired left ankle, a sign that his recovery from March surgery has run well past its original timeline.
The Athletic’s James Boyd was first to report the update, and he clarified soon after that it does not appear to be a setback so much as a continuation of a rehab process that has already dragged on for months.
“#Colts WR Alec Pierce did not have a setback, I’m told, though there still isn’t a definitive timetable on his return. Pierce — who in March inked a four-year, $114 million deal to remain in Indy — has yet to practice this offseason,” Boyd reported, per ClutchPoints.
A day later, though, more detail emerged. NBC Sports reported that Boyd’s reporting had expanded to confirm the injection was actually Pierce’s second PRP shot in the ankle, with the receiver now “well beyond the original recovery window” from his late-March procedure. That report characterized Pierce as being in real danger of missing regular-season time if the second round of platelet-rich plasma injections doesn’t accelerate things.
Surgery, PUP List and a Recovery That Keeps Slipping
Pierce underwent surgery in March to clean up an ankle issue he said he’d been playing through since 2024. The original recovery estimate was four to six months, which would have had him ready to return at some point during training camp. Instead, the Colts opened camp by placing him on the physically unable to perform list, and he has yet to take a single practice rep this offseason.
Colts head coach Shane Steichen has stopped short of alarm bells, but his public updates have grown noticeably vaguer as camp has worn on. Earlier this month, Steichen said he had no timetable for Pierce’s return, adding only that “his rehab’s going great” and that Pierce is “doing a hell of a job in his rehab process,” according to Yahoo Sports. That came after general manager Chris Ballard had earlier estimated Pierce was a “week or two” from returning — a timeline that has since come and gone.
Colts receivers coach Reggie Wayne offered a more upbeat, if still vague, take, telling reporters Pierce remains in good spirits despite the setback in schedule. “He’s upbeat, so if he’s upbeat, then that means he’s where he wants to be,” Wayne said, via Yahoo Sports. “I just want him whenever he’s 100%. I don’t want him at 85, I don’t want him 80 – I need him 100.”
A Franchise Receiver Under a Bigger Spotlight
The stakes here go beyond one player’s health. Pierce broke out in 2025, catching a career-high 47 passes for 1,003 yards — both career bests — while leading the NFL in yards per catch for the second straight year. He was, by a wide margin, Indianapolis’s top receiving option and scored six touchdowns.
That production is exactly why the Colts made him one of the highest-paid receivers on their roster, signing him to a four-year, $114 million contract extension in March. Indianapolis also traded top target Michael Pittman Jr. to the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, a move that signaled the team’s intent to build the passing offense around Pierce going forward. If his ankle keeps him out for any real stretch of the regular season, the Colts’ receiver room thins out fast — with Josh Downs and tight end Tyler Warren the most likely beneficiaries of extra targets in his absence.
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| 2025 Receptions | 47 (career high) |
| 2025 Receiving Yards | 1,003 (career high) |
| 2025 Touchdowns | 6 |
| Yards Per Catch (2025) | 21.3 (led NFL) |
| Contract | 4 years, $114 million (signed March 2026) |
What It Means for Week 1
Last season showed just how much a single injury can swing Indianapolis’s fortunes. The Colts started 8-2 before a bye week, riding high atop the AFC South, only to finish 8-9 and miss the playoffs after quarterback Daniel Jones went down with an injury. With Jones back healthy for 2026, the offense’s ceiling depends heavily on having its full complement of weapons — Pierce included.
Indianapolis opens the preseason on the road and will look for clarity on Pierce’s timeline in the coming weeks. The Colts begin their 2026 regular season on September 13 against the Baltimore Ravens, and for now, whether Pierce will be ready for it remains an open question.
